Unbridled 11

Before, Lin Wuyu often saw scenes like this on the street – one or two electric bikes, a few young people who looked to be idle, either sitting, squatting, or standing, holding cigarettes or cans of beer.

 

He never understood what this seemingly time-wasting and boring meet-up was all about.

 

Now he understood a part of it.

 

It was just like Ding Ji and him, except with a larger number of people and vehicles.

 

He sat on the electric scooter’s seat, and Ding Ji squatted on the sidewalk next to him.

 

They couldn’t go home, yet they didn’t want to go back to the dorm.

 

After chatting for a while, they fell into a not-so-awkward but very long silence.

 

“Can you stand up?” Lin Wuyu asked Ding Ji.

 

“Why?” 

 

“I don’t know,” Lin Wuyu said. “I just feel like the two of us look like we’re waiting for someone to challenge us to a fight.”

 

“That’s not it,” Ding Ji answered with experience. “You don’t look like that at all, I may look a bit like I would, but I’ll never participate in group fights where the number of people on our side is fewer than ten.”

 

“Why?” Lin Wuyu was curious.

 

“Isn’t it obvious?” Ding Ji said impatiently. “Haven’t you ever been in a fight? Fewer people mean bigger targets, more people mean safety, and if there are even more people, I can play on my phone on the sidelines.”

 

Lin Wuyu laughed.

 

Ding Ji’s phone started to ring in his pocket.

 

Lin Wuyu was surprised to hear Grandma Zhao Lirong’s ¹ voice.

 

Flowers bloom in the spring, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen…² 

 

“I’m done for,” Ding Ji took out his phone and glanced at it. “It’s my mom.”

 

“Why?” Lin Wuyu asked.

 

“I forgot to tell her I won’t go back for dinner,” Ding Ji said.

 

“Ah,” Lin Wuyu felt slightly guilty. “Do you want me to answer and explain for you?”

 

“What’s the point,” Ding Ji muted the phone and put it back in his pocket. “It’s nothing.”

 

“Go back,” Lin Wuyu said. “I have to go back to the dorm, I haven’t unpacked my suitcase yet.”

 

“Then I’ll take you back to school,” Ding Ji said.

 

Lin Wuyu had never ridden on an electric scooter before nor had he sat on the back of an electric scooter.

 

After two rides today, he was surprisingly sentimental about it.

 

Compared to carrying a suitcase back to school from home before, and sitting on the back seat now, he felt much more relaxed.

 

Maybe it was because he was full, maybe it was because things were already irreversible.

 

Maybe it was just because Ding Ji rudely hung up that phone call that he couldn’t deal with properly.

 

Ding Ji drove the scooter very fast, and his t-shirt swelled up with the rushing wind.

 

Lin Wuyu pulled down his t-shirt.

 

As soon as he let go, the t-shirt swelled up again.

 

He kept pulling, and the t-shirt kept swelling.

 

“Do you have OCD or something?” Ding Ji asked.

 

“No,” Lin Wuyu didn’t let go this time as he pulled. “Your shirt’s almost hitting my face.”

 

“It’s not dirty,” Ding Ji said.

 

“I didn’t say it was dirty,” Lin Wuyu tugged at his waistband and tucked in his T-shirt.

 

“What are you doing?” Ding Ji hit the brakes and turned back, alert.

 

Lin Wuyu raised his hands and didn’t say anything.

 

“Why weren’t you so particular when you drank someone else’s water?” Ding Ji frowned and tucked his shirt into his waistband. “You’re too fussy.”

 

When they reached the school gate, Ding Ji stopped the car and pulled his shirt out of his waistband again.

 

So particular.

 

Lin Wuyu smiled. “Sorry about today.”

 

“There’s nothing to be sorry about,” Ding Ji waved his hand. “I don’t have anything going on.”

 

“Well then…” Lin Wuyu pointed at the school gate.

 

“Bye,” Ding Ji said.

 

Lin Wuyu turned and took two steps, then stopped. After two seconds, he came back. “I have a question to ask.”

 

“Ask,” Ding Ji looked at him.

 

“About palm reading, you can see if someone has siblings, right?” Lin Wuyu looked at his palm, “Can you see anything else?”

 

“Like what?” Ding Ji asked.

 

“Like,” Lin Wuyu stopped for a long time before saying to him, “are they still alive.”

 

Ding Ji was stunned.

 

“That day you used coins to calculate, you said that he hasn’t been in the vicinity for two years,” Lin Wuyu said. “So…”

 

“Birth date and time,” Ding Ji got out of the car and took out his phone. He took a picture of Lin Wuyu’s palm and then took a picture of his face. “What’s your brother’s name?”

 

“Lin Zhan,” Lin Wuyu said the name and it felt unfamiliar.

 

Since “your brother” disappeared, this name had hardly been mentioned at home. On the one hand, they believed that Lin Zhan was a genius who could handle all the difficulties in the world, and on the other hand, they dared not imagine that Lin Zhan’s physical condition could remain healthy and safe for so many years.

 

But for some reason, when the name was changed to “your brother”, it was like entering self-hypnosis. “Your brother” was not Lin Zhan, “your brother” was not that missing child, “your brother” was the person you could never surpass.

 

He was the reason he came to this world, and he was the reason he was ignored. He was the source of pressure for everything he did.

 

Lin Wuyu was very assertive and determined when arguing, saying that everything was up to him. However, he also had to admit that he was just a high school student after all, and his emotions were inevitably affected.

 

After keeping his luggage in the dorm, Chen Mang and a few others cleaned up the cabinet where some miscellaneous items were kept and made space for him without asking any questions, and he didn’t say much either.

 

Normally, he would chat with Xu Tianbo, and they would talk about many things, venting and complaining, but he didn’t mention this incident to Xu Tianbo either.

 

With only a few days left until the exams, he didn’t want anyone’s emotions to be affected by him. These two days, he couldn’t find a rhythm for his revision, sitting alone by the edge of the playground, unable to concentrate even after several minutes of trying to solve a problem. He had to pick up the book and stare at each word.

 

It was on the fourth day that Old Lin found him on the playground.

 

“Let’s talk,” Old Lin sat down beside him.

 

“I’ll be able to adjust in a few days, at most a week,” Lin Wuyu reassured him.

 

“There’s not that much time left,” Old Lin said. “There’s not much time left for you to adjust.”

 

Lin Wuyu didn’t say anything.

 

“I didn’t want to find you, but I had to,” Old Lin said. “This incident has caused quite a stir, and let’s not pretend, comforting words may work for others, but they won’t mean much to you. Your mind and logic are beyond my capabilities.”

 

“Don’t flatter me,” Lin Wuyu smiled.

 

“If this is flattery, your butt would have been swollen and unsightly by now,” Old Lin laughed and put an arm around Lin Wuyu’s shoulder. “Let’s be frank, I went to talk to your parents, and the conversation wasn’t friendly at all. I think if we kept talking, they might complain to the education bureau. I don’t think there will be much flexibility from their side, given your family situation.”

 

“Okay,” Lin Wuyu nodded.

 

“So let’s just forget about it. Your independence in every aspect is very strong, and their attitude won’t have any substantive impact on you. What will affect you is yourself,” Old Lin said. “Your way of learning and reviewing is different from others. This adjustment time is too long for your style.”

 

Lin Wuyu glanced at him.

 

“I can only push you directly,” Old Lin said. “It’s not even a week until the third mock exam. Look back at your god-like results in the second mock exam. If you’re not a god in the third mock exam, can you justify yourself to me?”

 

“Big brother Lin,” Lin Wuyu couldn’t help but laugh. “Why are you doing this to me?”

 

“What’s our relationship?” Old Lin drew his finger back and forth between them. “What’s our relationship?”

 

“Brothers in both the educational and personal sense,” Lin Wuyu said.

 

“We’re buddies,” Old Lin said.  “When you were in your first year of high school, I told everyone not to look for Lin Wuyu if they wanted to be recommended for college or anything else. You have to leave a mark on my teaching career so I can brag to other parents in the future.”

 

“Okay,” Lin Wuyu nodded with a smile.

 

“Alright, I won’t take up any more of your time,” Old Lin stood up. “I’ll say something very serious.”

 

“Speak,” Lin Wuyu looked at him.

 

“I really don’t have time, Lin Wuyu,” Old Lin said. “Keep it up, you know you don’t need to prove anything to anyone, but you said that your business is your call and you are responsible for it.”

 

“You really know me,” Lin Wuyu pushed his glasses.

 

“This sentence almost killed your mother. I told you this seven or eight times.”

 

“I will do what I said,” Lin Wuyu said.

 

“You’re full of shit,” his grandma frowned. “You never keep your word!”

 

“I just miss you guys,” Ding Ji lay on the sofa, holding the exercise book from Shi Xiangyang with one hand, and a pen in the other hand to do the calculations. “Don’t you miss me? I came back to see you, and this is how I’m treated?”

 

“You just don’t want to go back!” his grandma said. “Your father said you don’t answer the phone, why don’t you answer his calls? You didn’t even say a word when you didn’t go home for dinner.”

 

“I don’t want to argue with them, and besides,” Ding Ji frowned, “today, a friend of mine just fought with his family. If I perform a live fight with my family in front of him, wouldn’t it make things worse?”

 

“That’s not necessarily true,” his grandpa said slowly while making tea. “Maybe he will feel better when he sees that someone else is unhappy like he is.”

 

“That’s me,” Ding Ji laughed. “This person is different.”

 

“How is he different? Is he a new friend?” his grandpa asked.

 

“Yeah,” Ding Ji thought for a moment. “It’s his brother. I asked Grandma to help me fortune-tell something for him, but she didn’t help me.”

 

“But you fortune-told it yourself,” his grandma said. “Did you think I didn’t know?”

 

“If you have time, help me calculate it. It seems like his brother is affecting him. He is about to take the college entrance exam,” Ding Ji frowned.

 

“That’s rich coming from you,” his grandma exclaimed, realizing that they had gone off-topic and quickly changed the subject. “You didn’t come back! You didn’t study!”

 

“Hey!” Ding Ji sat up, looking at his grandma.

 

“Review, review, review! My grandson’s face has grown so weary since your parents always misunderstand you,” his grandma immediately held his face.

 

“If you have time, help me fortune-tell it, grandma,” Ding Ji took out a piece of paper from his pocket. “I wrote down his name and the eight characters of his birthday, everything you need is written here.”

 

“Why are you so concerned about this friend you just met?” his grandma was reluctant, but still took the paper.

 

“Why am I so concerned?” Ding Ji rode his electric scooter home, and it wasn’t long before the college entrance exam. He didn’t want to argue with his parents about studying.

 

Why am I so concerned?

 

I don’t know.

 

Am I concerned?

 

I don’t know.

 

Is it because they had similar experiences?

 

No, it wasn’t. Lin Wuyu’s parents were different from his mom and dad, rather the opposite.

 

They didn’t seem to care about Lin Wuyu.

 

His own mom and dad placed too many expectations on him, with too many unrealistic demands.

 

It wasn’t entirely unrealistic, honestly. Ding Ji didn’t actually know where his limit was, as he never tried his best.

 

He had no idea how far he could go.

 

He just didn’t want to be overly focused; he didn’t need those expectations and forced affirmations that didn’t consider his perspective.

 

However, speaking of doing his best, this could be considered his best effort, even solving the problems given by Shi Xiangyang.

 

Although, he did it because Lin Wuyu said he had the talent to do it. After all, the academic god was more reliable than Shi Xiangyang.

 

Hehehe.

 

Ding Ji took out his phone that had been vibrating in his pocket, and saw that the call was not from home, but from Liu Jinpeng.

 

He parked the car on the side of the road and answered the phone, “Peng Peng?”

 

“Were you just at your grandmother’s house!?” Liu Jinpeng shouted.

 

“Yeah,” Ding Ji replied. “I’m going back to my parent’s house now. If I don’t go back now, they will erupt. They might kick me out of the house, and then you’ll have to come with me to pack my things…”

 

“Isn’t all your stuff at your grandmother’s house?” Liu Jinpeng said.

 

“You’re the only one with a brain, huh,” Ding Ji said.

 

“I still have a brain, whether it’s useful or not is another matter,” Liu Jinpeng laughed. “If you have time in the next few days, come to the small park and find me. I’ll give you some watermelons for your grandparents.”

 

“Watermelons?” Ding Ji was stunned.

 

“My cousin brought a few truckloads of watermelons,” Liu Jinpeng said. “I’m helping him sell them, at the fruit stand next to the small park.”

 

“Okay,” Ding Ji said, “I’ll come find you in a few days.”

 

Liu Jinpeng gave him an idea, and Ding Ji picked up two watermelons from the fruit stand downstairs and went back home.

 

Because he carried Shi Xiangyang’s problem set with him plus the watermelons, his mom and dad’s anxiety and anger were slightly appeased.

 

Ding Ji rushed to his room before they snapped out of it and closed the door.

 

Before he started to study, he took out his phone and used a photo printer to print out Lin Wuyu’s face and hands, and stared at them for a while.

 

He knew that he was thinking about Lin Wuyu’s brother, but someone who didn’t know might think that he had some thoughts about Lin Wuyu.

 

‘…Lin Wuyu turned out to be gay.

 

Really surprising.

 

I couldn’t tell.’

 

However, there was also a good-looking and flamboyant boy in the class besides his in his school. He dressed very stylishly every day, and sometimes even put on makeup. Many people pointed at and talked about him, but Ding Ji had no prejudice. When he was in his sophomore year, he even stood up for him and told people to shut up.

 

However, this guy didn’t thank him, and the next day, he even avoided him.

 

It was very annoying.

 

However, after analyzing the situation, a social expert named Liu Jinpeng speculated that the reason why the boy avoided Ding Ji was probably because he was afraid that people would say that they were in a relationship and didn’t want to drag Ding Ji into it.

 

Ding Ji was satisfied with this explanation.

 

Lin Wuyu was similar today, afraid of being misunderstood.

 

However…Lin Wuyu didn’t avoid him.

 

‘Hmm!’ Ding Ji raised an eyebrow. ‘Could it be that he really likes me?’

 

“You’re overthinking it, aren’t you?” Lin Wuyu stood by the railing in the hallway with his phone. “The police just meant that we were the ones who found the child and reported the case. Now that the child is settled down, we can go see him if we want. Who said you had to go and identify the child?”

 

“I never said I wanted to go and identify the child,” Ding Ji sighed. “You didn’t explain it clearly. I thought the police were giving me trouble!”

 

“…Have you done something shady before?” Lin Wuyu suppressed a smile.

 

“Are you going?” Ding Ji asked. “To see the child?”

 

“I…” Lin Wuyu hesitated for a moment. He didn’t want to see the child, who was unwanted from the start. But in order not to let Ding Ji think he was a cold-blooded person, he nodded. “Let’s go.”

 

Ding Ji clicked his tongue at Lin Wuyu’s hesitation.

 

Lin Wuyu sighed.

 

“Come find me, I’ll drive you there,” Ding Ji said. “You know the fruit stall next to the small park, right?”

 

“Yeah,” Lin Wuyu said.

 

Liu Jinpeng’s watermelon stand was a bit defective because he sold from one cart, so he only rented a storefront and didn’t even have a wagon. The watermelons were piled on the ground, with only a small stool, a worn-out pouch for money, and a QR code for collecting payments thrown on top of the watermelon pile.

 

Ding Ji couldn’t quite understand it. Liu Jinpeng didn’t usually sell fruit here, so how did he manage to find such a worn-out pouch overnight and make it look like he had been squatting here selling fruit for eight years?

 

“It’s quite sweet.” Ding Ji liked to eat watermelon. He sat on a small stool and ate half of it in a few minutes.

 

“Da Dong said that it’s a boy,” Liu Jinpeng said. “Wasn’t he adopted?”

 

“Probably because they had some illness or disability,” Ding Ji said. “After all, most people adopt children because they need them, not out of kindness.”

 

Liu Jinpeng sighed.

 

Ding Ji lowered his head and ate for a while. Out of the corner of her eye, he saw someone standing in front of the watermelon stall. Liu Jinpeng didn’t say anything, and he didn’t know if he was still immersed in sympathy for that poor child.

 

“Do you want to buy watermelon?” Ding Ji had to put down the watermelon rind in his hand and ask.

 

“No,” Lin Wuyu stood in front of the watermelon and replied.

 

When Ding Ji saw his expression and eyes, he knew that there had been a qualitative change in Lin Wuyu’s heart towards him.

 

According to his analysis, the tattered pouch for collecting money was at his feet, the small stool he sat on was the only seat at the watermelon stall, occupying the centre of the stall, and he skillfully greeted customers.

 

Therefore, his conclusion could be drawn.

 

He finally listened to the sincere persuasion of the academic god and evolved from a lazy and dishonest person to a watermelon seller.

 

His life has started to take a positive direction.

 

At least he can support himself now.

 uuuu